SuperDave
2019-05-28, 09:35 PM
I'm playing in a long-running Percy Jackson d20 (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?295050-Percy-Jackson-3-P-subsystem) campaign, and my character has finally attained the lofty position of head counselor for the Apollo Cabin! My DM has graciously allowed me to write my own prestige class to reflect the expanded powers which come with this position of authority, but there's just one problem: I'm not very experienced at designing classes, so I have no idea what the prerequisites should be, or what order the abilities should be awarded in, or what's balanced, or even how many levels it should be. :smallfrown:
In terms of power/combat ability, I'm aiming to make this PrC roughly on par with the Golden Legionnaire (https://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/prestige-classes/other-paizo/e-h/golden-legionnaire/), because we're using a 3.5 version of that to represent the Centurions of Camp Jupiter.
I've cobbled together a few ideas for class features which I think would be useful or thematically-appropriate, based on the Percy Jackson/Heroes of Olympus books and my own brief stint as a summer camp counselor, but it's still very much a rough outline. Any assistance you could offer, from big-picture to specific mechanics, would be greatly appreciated. :smallsmile:
Head Counselor
Hit Die
d8.
Alignment
Cannot be opposed to divine parent’s alignment on both the law/chaos and good/evil axes. The Olympians care less about morality than they do about getting results, but working at complete cross-purposes to your divine parent is a good way to get smited. Smote? Smitten? Anyway, it’s a bad idea.
Requirements
To qualify to become a Head Counselor, a character must fulfill all of the following criteria.
Race
Human Demigod (possibly other races [e.g., cyclops] if at least one parent is divine).
Base Attack Bonus
+6 [I have no idea if this is reasonable or not]
Skills
5 or more ranks in Diplomacy, Heal, Knowledge (Mythos), Survival, and divine parent’s favored skill (e.g. Bluff or Sleight of Hand for Hermes, Craft for Hephaestus, Spellcraft for Hecate). [is this too many skills?]
Age
The mantle of head counselor typically falls to the oldest camper in their cabin (usually 15 or older), though a younger camper who has been on more quests than the current head counselor may challenge the head counselor of their own cabin to a duel for their position. The current head counselor is obliged accept such a challenge, though the duel need not be a physical contest. Athena’s children have been known to challenge each other to chess matches; Hephaestus campers often dare each other to see who can construct the most powerful weapons or armor; and the sons and daughters of Hecate are known to throw down in truly epic Magic: The Gathering duels.
Class Skills
The head counselor’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are: Climb (Str), Diplomacy (Cha), Heal (Wis), Knowledge (Mythos) (Int), Listen (Wis), Ride (Dex), Search (Int), Sense Motive (Wis), Spot (Wis), Survival (Wis), Swim (Str).
Skill Points at Each Level
4 + Int modifier.
Level
BAB
Fort
Ref
Will
Special
1st
+0
Home-Field Advantage
2nd
+1
Mentee?
3rd
+2
4th
+3
5th
+4
6th
+5
7th
+6
8th
+7
9th
+8
10th
+9
Requisition Artifact
Class Features
All of the following are Class Features of the head counselor prestige class.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency
A head counselor is proficient with all simple and martial weapons.
Home-Field Advantage (Su)
As long as you are within the borders of Camp Half-Blood, you gain advantage on combat checks and/or saving throws. [I realize advantage is a 5e thing, but I wasn't sure what else to put.]
Rallying Cry (Ex)
All allies within earshot who can hear you may take a bonus action during your turn to move up to 10 feet closer to you.
Hold the Line (Su)
You exhort your fellows to hold their positions; any allies within earshot who can hear you gain a +5 morale bonus [to what?] as long as they do so.
He Said/She Said (Sp)
Once per day, a head counselor may cast zone of truth as a spell-like ability, with a caster level equal to your total HD?
Mentee (Ex)
You have become a mentor to a younger camper (not necessarily from your own cabin) and taken them under your wing... or else one has glommed onto you and you can’t shake the kid off no matter how hard you try. They follow you everywhere, attempting to be helpful as best they can, though their limited experience and bias towards you means that sometimes their “help” is really more of a hindrance. Your mentee can deliver messages, serve as a lookout, run errands, spy on your rivals, or perform other simple favors for you. They will assist you in combat to the best of their abilities (unless the enemy is too scary, in which case you’re on your own). You are considered responsible should any serious or permanent harm befall them, in which case you will likely have to answer to their divine parent for your negligence.
To determine your Mentee’s level and abilities, see the Leadership (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/feats.htm#leadership) feat.
Walk It Off (Su)
You remove one negative status effect from an ally with a successful [Motivation check? Leadership check?]
First Aid (Sp)
Cast cure light wounds twice? per day on one creature you can touch, with a caster level equal to your total HD?
You Shall Not Pass! (Ex)
Anytime you deal damage with an attack of opportunity against an opponent entering a square you threaten, that creature’s movement ends in that square.
Requisition Artifact (Ex, Su, or Sp?)
Once per adventure, you can “borrow without permission” one magic item from the attic of the Big House [with a successful check of some kind?]. If it’s not returned undamaged before Mr. D, Chiron, or the cleaning harpies notice it's missing, you’re in deep doo-doo.
In terms of power/combat ability, I'm aiming to make this PrC roughly on par with the Golden Legionnaire (https://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/prestige-classes/other-paizo/e-h/golden-legionnaire/), because we're using a 3.5 version of that to represent the Centurions of Camp Jupiter.
I've cobbled together a few ideas for class features which I think would be useful or thematically-appropriate, based on the Percy Jackson/Heroes of Olympus books and my own brief stint as a summer camp counselor, but it's still very much a rough outline. Any assistance you could offer, from big-picture to specific mechanics, would be greatly appreciated. :smallsmile:
Head Counselor
Hit Die
d8.
Alignment
Cannot be opposed to divine parent’s alignment on both the law/chaos and good/evil axes. The Olympians care less about morality than they do about getting results, but working at complete cross-purposes to your divine parent is a good way to get smited. Smote? Smitten? Anyway, it’s a bad idea.
Requirements
To qualify to become a Head Counselor, a character must fulfill all of the following criteria.
Race
Human Demigod (possibly other races [e.g., cyclops] if at least one parent is divine).
Base Attack Bonus
+6 [I have no idea if this is reasonable or not]
Skills
5 or more ranks in Diplomacy, Heal, Knowledge (Mythos), Survival, and divine parent’s favored skill (e.g. Bluff or Sleight of Hand for Hermes, Craft for Hephaestus, Spellcraft for Hecate). [is this too many skills?]
Age
The mantle of head counselor typically falls to the oldest camper in their cabin (usually 15 or older), though a younger camper who has been on more quests than the current head counselor may challenge the head counselor of their own cabin to a duel for their position. The current head counselor is obliged accept such a challenge, though the duel need not be a physical contest. Athena’s children have been known to challenge each other to chess matches; Hephaestus campers often dare each other to see who can construct the most powerful weapons or armor; and the sons and daughters of Hecate are known to throw down in truly epic Magic: The Gathering duels.
Class Skills
The head counselor’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are: Climb (Str), Diplomacy (Cha), Heal (Wis), Knowledge (Mythos) (Int), Listen (Wis), Ride (Dex), Search (Int), Sense Motive (Wis), Spot (Wis), Survival (Wis), Swim (Str).
Skill Points at Each Level
4 + Int modifier.
Level
BAB
Fort
Ref
Will
Special
1st
+0
Home-Field Advantage
2nd
+1
Mentee?
3rd
+2
4th
+3
5th
+4
6th
+5
7th
+6
8th
+7
9th
+8
10th
+9
Requisition Artifact
Class Features
All of the following are Class Features of the head counselor prestige class.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency
A head counselor is proficient with all simple and martial weapons.
Home-Field Advantage (Su)
As long as you are within the borders of Camp Half-Blood, you gain advantage on combat checks and/or saving throws. [I realize advantage is a 5e thing, but I wasn't sure what else to put.]
Rallying Cry (Ex)
All allies within earshot who can hear you may take a bonus action during your turn to move up to 10 feet closer to you.
Hold the Line (Su)
You exhort your fellows to hold their positions; any allies within earshot who can hear you gain a +5 morale bonus [to what?] as long as they do so.
He Said/She Said (Sp)
Once per day, a head counselor may cast zone of truth as a spell-like ability, with a caster level equal to your total HD?
Mentee (Ex)
You have become a mentor to a younger camper (not necessarily from your own cabin) and taken them under your wing... or else one has glommed onto you and you can’t shake the kid off no matter how hard you try. They follow you everywhere, attempting to be helpful as best they can, though their limited experience and bias towards you means that sometimes their “help” is really more of a hindrance. Your mentee can deliver messages, serve as a lookout, run errands, spy on your rivals, or perform other simple favors for you. They will assist you in combat to the best of their abilities (unless the enemy is too scary, in which case you’re on your own). You are considered responsible should any serious or permanent harm befall them, in which case you will likely have to answer to their divine parent for your negligence.
To determine your Mentee’s level and abilities, see the Leadership (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/feats.htm#leadership) feat.
Walk It Off (Su)
You remove one negative status effect from an ally with a successful [Motivation check? Leadership check?]
First Aid (Sp)
Cast cure light wounds twice? per day on one creature you can touch, with a caster level equal to your total HD?
You Shall Not Pass! (Ex)
Anytime you deal damage with an attack of opportunity against an opponent entering a square you threaten, that creature’s movement ends in that square.
Requisition Artifact (Ex, Su, or Sp?)
Once per adventure, you can “borrow without permission” one magic item from the attic of the Big House [with a successful check of some kind?]. If it’s not returned undamaged before Mr. D, Chiron, or the cleaning harpies notice it's missing, you’re in deep doo-doo.